promontory

noun

prom·​on·​to·​ry ˈprä-mən-ˌtȯr-ē 

plural promontories

1

a

: a high point of land or rock projecting into a body of water

b

: a prominent mass of land overlooking or projecting into a lowland

2

: a bodily prominence

Synonyms

• peninsula
• headland

Examples of promontory in a Sentence

stood on the windswept promontory overlooking the bay

Cape May is Delaware Bay's largest promontory.

Recent Examples on the Web

The promontories rising on each side of the Strait of Gibraltar are known as the Pillars of Hercules. —Elizabeth Fernandez, Big Think, 4 Sep. 2025

Thanks to a generous promontory, setting top ropes for beginners here is simple. —AFAR Media, 28 Aug. 2025

Climb 5 miles up the rocky promontory of Oyster Dome for stunning views, then see the bivalves being farmed— and enjoy a few—at Taylor Shellfish Farm. —Melanie Haiken, Outside Online, 23 July 2025

The medieval Bodrum Castle has stood rock-solid on a promontory for over 600 years and is one of the last fortresses built in Turkey by the Crusaders. —Marcia Desanctis, Travel + Leisure, 30 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin promunturium, promonturium; probably akin to prominēre to jut forth — more at prominent

First Known Use

1548, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for promontory

• allegory
• amatory
• auditory
• category
• clerestory
• crematory
• desultory
• dilatory
• dormitory
• excretory
• extempore
• feudatory

Kids Definition

promontory

noun

prom·​on·​to·​ry ˈpräm-ən-ˌtōr-ē 

-ˌtȯr-

plural promontories

: a high point of land sticking out into the sea

Medical Definition

promontory

noun

prom·​on·​to·​ry ˈpräm-ən-ˌtōr-ē, -ˌtȯr- 

plural promontories

: a bodily prominence: as

a

: the angle of the ventral side of the sacrum where it joins the vertebra

b

: a prominence on the inner wall of the tympanum of the ear